The sunrise at this Hawaiian national park is so popular, tourists now have to pay to see it

A national park in Hawaii has become the victim of its own natural beauty.

The authorities at Haleakala - Hawaiian for "House of the Sun" - in Maui have been forced to implement sunrise reservations at the summit of its highest peak, in order to prevent overcrowding, The Telegraphreports.

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The stunning views, which are particularly special early in the morning, have reportedly attracted over a thousand people per day in the past year. As well as causing traffic chaos, park officials say the large volume of visitors is also a threat to the environment, including rare plants and endangered sea birds.

To try and limit the impact, a sunrise reservations system was put in place on 1 February. This means tourists must pay a $1.50 fee (£1.20) when booking a slot, which can be done up to 60 days in advance of the visit. A $20 (£16) park entrance fee is also required.

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According to park superintendent Natalie Gates, the increase in visitor numbers has been driven by social media.

"If you ever went up there, you would see that fully half to three-quarters of our visitors who are watching the sunrise are either taking photos that they immediately broadcast to their friends, or filming it," Natalie Gates told the Associated Press.

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Only 16% of the park's visitors come at sunrise, but they account for almost half of the park's emergency medical calls.

"It's a dark place. It's rocky. And when people are moving away from crowds and trying to go off trail, often frequently stumbling around on cliff sides in the dark, we see trauma cases, altitude cases," Gates said. "We sometimes see cardiac and other cases."

Haleakala isn't the only natural wonder to suffer from overcrowding. Last year, UNESCO raised concerns about Plitvice Lakes National Park, a World Heritage site, which draws 15,000 people a day in peak season.